Valve for chutes.



Nu. B42JBI. Patented Jan. 30, I900. F. SARGENT & H. J. WESTOVER.

VALVE FUR CHUTES.

\Applicution filed June 12, 1899.) (N0 Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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N0. 642,i6l. Patented Jan. 30, I900.

F. SARGENT & H. J. WESTOVER.

VALVE FOR CHUTES.

(Application filed June 12, 1899.3 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2v BZ/ Ii'rien STATES PATEN FFICE.

FREDERICK SARGENT AND HENRY J. XVESTOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE FOR CHUTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,161, dated January30, 1900.

Application filed June 12,1899. Serial No. 720,192. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FREDERICK SARGENT and HENRY J. Wnsrovnn, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inValves for Chutes, (Case No. 1,) of which the following is afull, clear,concise, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a valve for open ing and closing pipes, chutes,or passageways, and is especially adapted for use in connection withcoalchutes to control the passage of coal through a pipe or chute from abunker to the hopper of a mechanical stoker.

The advantages of our construction are many and will be apparent upon aglance at the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferredembodiment of our invention, and in which Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view of a portion of the coal-chute provided with our improvedvalve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a full elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view on a plane at right angles with that of Fig. 1; and Fig.5 is a view in elevation of a portion of a coal-bunker, with the chuteleading therefrom equipped with the valve of our invention.

Similar letters of reference are used to designate the same partswherever they are shown.

The chute a is formed with a downwardlyopening mouth a, and thecontinuation a of the chute below said mouth is adapted to receive thecoal therefrom. The walls a a of said continuation are carried upwardoutside of the walls of said mouth, and thus form double walls for thechute at this point. The valve 7) is somewhat in the shape of a cradle,being formed with a curved portion 1) for closing the mouth a, andhaving vertical end pieces h 5 upon the upper ends of which are providedprojections 11 b forming trunnions upon which the valve may swing. Thecurved portion 5 of the valve is preferably given the form of a portionof a cylinder, the trunnions determining the axial line of suchcylinderthat is to say, the crosssection of the curved portion b showsan arc of a circle whose cen ter may be found in the axial line betweenthe two trunnions b 12 The trunnions are hung in U-shapcd bearings (t a,formed in the upper portions of outside walls a a At the end of one ofthe trunnions is mounted an arm 0, carrying at its end acounterbalance-weight d. Upon the other of said trunnions a rockinglever c is mounted, and chains may be attached to the ends of suchrocking lever, whereby the same may be moved to rotate or swing thevalve upon its trunnions to open or close the passage of the coal-chute.

A housing a is adapted to fit upon the upper edge of the outer walls a abeing retained in position by the tap-screw it. Its housing serves toassist the walls a a in preventing the escape of dust and to inclose thevalve. The valve is adapted to swing to and fro in the space between thedouble walls thus formed.

\Vhen the valve is in a closed position-that is,when the curved portionI) covers the mouth a in the chuteit will be seen that passage of coalis effectually prevented. The weight of the coal is sustained upon thetrunnions b When it is desired to open the valve to permit coal to passdown through the chute, the lever 6 may be rocked by pulling the chainwhich is attached to its upper end, and the valve thereby caused torotate upon its trunnions, swinging up into the hollow space a (Shown inFigs. 1 and 3.) Fig. 1 shows the valve partly open. It will be notedthat with this construction no coal has to be displaced or lifted inorder to open the valve, so that very little power will be required.

The provision of the arm 0, with its weight (1 to counterbalance thevalve 1), is very advantageous, as is also the provision of the rockingarm c, with its chains for operating the valve. Heretofore it has beennecessary in many large power plants to build special platforms alongunderneath the coal-bunkers to permit the attendants to operate thevalves in the coal-chutes. By our invention this is renderedunnecessary, since the attendant can easily swing any valve to thedesired position by pulling either one of the chains which are attachedto the rocking arm of such valve, and the valve when once adjusted toeither an open or a closed position will be held so by thecounterweight.

It will be observed that when .the housing a isremoved the valve may beswung into a position to open the passage way and then lifted bodilyuntil the trunnions b b are disengaged from the U-shaped bearings a a Noappreciable amount of coal-dust, however, will be allowed to escape,because the outer walls a a extend upward higher than thedownwardly-projecting inner walls forming the mouth a. It should also benoted that the bearings 0. a wherein the trunnions are hung are sosituated that they will not be clogged by coal-dust, and, in fact, thevalve as a whole is dust-tight.

7e are aware that it has been proposed heretofore to provide twoswinging valves whose edges meet or are intended to meet in the centerof the chute; but this arrangement has been found impracticable, becauseit is very difficult and almost impossible to prevent lumps of coalcatching between the edges of the two valves, so that smaller lumps anddust still continue to flow through the space between.

Ve are also aware that swinging valves have been used at the ends ofcoal-ch utes, and this we do not claim; but,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination with a chute having adownwardly-opening mouth, of a continuation or section a of said chutebelow said mouth adapted to receive coal therefrom, said continuationhaving side walls a a integral therewith extending upwardly outside thewalls of the mouth and inclosing the same, bearings a a formed in theupper portions of the side walls, a cradle-valve b having trunnions b 1)adapted to rest in said bearings, whereon said valves may swing to andfro under the mouth of the chute to open and close the same, said valvebeing adapted to swing out between the wall of the chute and the sidewall a of the outside of the chute, whereby it may be removed from itsplace, and a housing a adapted to cover the opening between the wall ofthe chute and the upwardly-extending side walls a substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 9th day of June,A. D. 1899.

FREDERICK SARGENT. HENRY J. XVESTOVER. Witnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, DE WITT G. TANNER.

